Waste Management Licensing Regulations

The Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/1056) apply in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to those persons involved in the collection, storage, treatment and disposal of controlled wastes. These activities were previously covered by provisions contained within the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (COPA). The regulations implement certain provisions of European Directive 91/156/EEC and are enacted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 90).

A licence is required to authorise the:

*Deposit of controlled waste to land
*Disposal of waste by means of plant of equipment, which includes
**Baling
**Compacting
**Incinerating
**Pulverising
**Sorting
**Storing
**Processing
**Shredding
**Composting
*Treatment, keeping or disposal of controlled waste on land
*Treatment, keeping or disposal of controlled waste by mobile plant
*Treatment, keeping or disposal of controlled wastes in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment or harm to human health

Licensing

In order to obtain a licence certain conditions must be met. These fall into 3 categories which are aimed to ensure that waste management is in the hands of "fit and proper persons".

*Technical competence

::This generally requires involvement of the Waste management training board WAMITAB.

:: there is a requirement that managers of the facilities have obtained the relevant Certificate of Technical Competence (CoTC) in which there are a number of levels.

*Relevant offences

That the company, or persons acting for the company, should not have any summary convictions relating to provisions of regulations affewcting the industry. A licence can be subsequently revoked if a licence holder has ceased to be fit and proper by reason of his having been convicted of a relevant offence.

*Financial Provision/Security

The applicant would not be regarded as fit and proper if it appears to the waste regulation authority (WRA) that:

::He has not made financial provision adequate to discharge the obligations arising from the licence:he either has no intention of making it, or is in no position to make it

As the provision is based on licence conditions, which are variable depending upon the operation, financial provision will be variable. In the case of landfill operations these funds will also be expected to cover the post-closure period where continuing expenditure might be expected for: monitoring replacement of pollution control equipment, and site restoration.

Security (usually in the form of insurance) must also be provided to cover eventualities that would be likely to have higher costs than those planned for in the ordinary course of business, e.g. failure of a landfill containment causing pollution of water courses.

The issues of risk are discussed between all parties involved in the application, i.e. the applicant, WRA and the provider of the cover to decide:

:What event would trigger payment:What specific works or other measures are to be covered:The amount of the appropriate cover

Ultimately the WRA needs to be satisfied that adequate cover for risks has been provided; to reinforce this it may be included as part of the licence condition.

ee also

*Waste legislation